Helping Washington State homeowners learn more about their mortgage options.
The other day, while on Facebook, I came across a stat that my friend and real estate educator, Jillayne Schlicke had posted in response which surprised me. Her comment was in response to an article she had shared on Zillow acquiring a mortgage company that has licenses in all 50 states.
Private mortgage insurance is required on conventional mortgages when there is less than 20% equity on a property, when the loan-to-value is greater than 80%. Private mortgage insurance (pmi) that is paid monthly automatically drops off the mortgage payment once the mortgage balance reaches 78% of the original loan amount. Private mortgage insurance premiums are intended to be risked based. The more equity or down payment on a home and the higher your credit scores are, the lower the premiums tend to be. [Read more…]
Mortgage rates are based on bonds (mortgage backed securities) and are traded fairly similar as stocks. Investors tend to favor stocks over bonds as stocks tend to provide a better return. However, investors will opt for bonds over stocks when they are seeking safety when markets are tumultuous. When the stock market is on a run, odds are mortgage rates may be moving higher as investors are selecting stocks over bonds. And when the stock market is tanking, mortgage rates tend to improve for the same reason. [Read more…]
Freddie Mac released their Prime Mortgage Market Survey this morning showing that last week, average mortgage rates slightly ticked higher.
I don’t post the PMMS weekly reports from Freddie Mac every week (you can see them here), however from my last post on this, you can see there is very little difference in interest rates compared to almost 1.5 months ago.
This is good news for people who are considering buying or refinancing their homes with mortgage interest rates staying historically lower (see the bottom time line on the pic above). If you need a mortgage on a home located anywhere in Washington state, where I’m licensed, I am happy to help you! Click here for a mortgage rate quote.
If you live in the greater Seattle area, you may be receiving a notice from your mortgage servicer stating that they need to adjust your mortgage payment because of an “escrow shortage”. We actually just received such notice from our mortgage servicer. [Read more…]
Earlier this month, USDA updated the maps that determine if homes are eligible for USDA financing. USDA allows eligible home buyers to purchase a home with no down payment. In order the qualify, the borrowers must meet the income limit requirements and the property needs to be in a designated rural area.
Current eligible areas include areas like Enumclaw, Fall City and Vashon Island as well as parts of Black Diamond and parts of Duvall. The specific address really needs to be ran as homes directly across the street from each other may or may not be eligible. [Read more…]
I recently helped a couple successfully close on their new home in Seattle before having to close on their former home in Everett. By using a bridge loan to access equity on the Everett home, they were able to make a winning offer on the Seattle home without it having to be “subject to the sale” of their former home. This help to make their offer far more attractive in a very competitive real estate market. [Read more…]
Later next month, Freddie Mac will be offering a new program for first time home buyers. This mortgage program offers low down payment options without the income limit or geographic restrictions that Home Possible has.
HomeOne will be available for both purchases and rate-term refinances on single family dwellings. At least one borrower on the application must be a first time home buyer when the transaction is a purchase and home buyer education is required. [Read more…]
Rhonda Porter is a Licensed Mortgage Originator MLO121324 living in the greater Seattle area. Rhonda began her career in 1986 in the title and escrow industry and began her mortgage career in 2000. She enjoys helping people understand the mortgage process and started writing The Mortgage Porter in late 2006. Read More…
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